State’s nurse shortage no longer critical – California is bouncing back from its severe shortage of registered nurses, and the state may be on its way to averting a true health care crisis, according to a report released Friday. The state's Labor and Workforce Development Agency provided an update on the California Nurse Education Initiative that showed nursing programs around California are projected to graduate 10,391 RNs in the 2007-08 academic year, a 68 percent increase over the 6,158 who graduated in 2003-04. Stockton Record article
Solar industry needs workers – California's fascination with solar power has created thousands of jobs in the state and will probably add thousands more, according to a new survey of the industry. The survey, by two community college researchers, estimates that solar companies in California now employ between 16,500 and 17,500 people and may hire another 5,000 in the next year. San Francisco Chronicle article
Other states woo California teachers amid uncertainty over budget plan – Drawn by pink slips issued to thousands of teachers, recruiters from school districts nationwide are wooing California teachers with greater fervor than usual. Districts in Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Kansas, Virginia and Texas have been buying newspaper ads and renting billboard space, calling teachers unions and sending recruiters to regions facing the biggest school budget crunches. The trend worries some Sacramento officials, who fear talented young teachers will be lured away from a state that already expects one-third of its 300,000 teachers to retire over the next decade. LA Times article
Modesto officials say rule to lessen smog would hurt efforts to reduce trash at landfill – Modesto's 30-acre compost site is caught between a green rock and an eco-friendly hard place. It takes 65,000 tons of green waste each year and turns it into organic fertilizer, a key component in helping the city comply with a state mandate to divert half of its garbage out of landfills. But a proposed rule aimed at reducing ozone pollution could drive up the cost of composting, which could lead to cutbacks at the site and more waste winding up at landfills. Modesto Bee article
It’s official: Salmon season is a bust – Wildlife regulators on Friday canceled most of the salmon fishing season in the Central Valley, a potential $20 million hit for the state's already struggling economy. The unprecedented restrictions make it illegal to fish for salmon with one exception: a stretch of the Sacramento River from north of Woodland to Red Bluff, and only in November and December. Stockton Record article
Valley sees health improvement – It's no secret that Valley residents continue to lag behind - in many cases, far behind - their fellow Californians when it comes to critical health indicators, but there are some signs that improvements are being made, according to a new report released this week by the Modesto-based Great Valley Center. Stockton Record article
Fresno meeting plots strategies to curb urban sprawl – Global warming, rising energy costs and population growth are changing the way cities grow, and planners must adapt -- especially if they hope to save farmland from sprawl. Those were among the topics discussed at a workshop Friday that drew leaders of land-use agencies from throughout the state. Nearly 80 people gathered at the Fresno County Farm Bureau to talk about how best to stop urban sprawl, save farmland and prevent cities such as Fresno from becoming the next Los Angeles. Fresno Bee article
Sacramento Bee: Historic agreement preserves Tejon Ranch – It took several years of contentious negotiations, but private landowners, developers and environmental groups have achieved a historic land-use agreement for the 270,000- acre Tejon Ranch. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is optimistic that it will show that "we can protect California's environment at the same time we pump up our economy." This deal is a major accomplishment. Californians won't see many more opportunities to preserve land on the scale of the Tejon Ranch. Sacramento Bee editorial
Farm products pricier, but farmers no richer – Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years, and oil prices have tripled since the beginning of 2004. But farmers aren't getting rich off higher prices -- they too are facing shortages and high costs. Economic experts say the continued growing of corn for ethanol has influenced the price of all commodities and has hit growers who also have animals the hardest. Merced Sun-Star article
Stanislaus County agencies plan new mental health program – Three county departments are proposing a plan for 157 patients who, as a last resort, have gone to Stanislaus County health clinics for medication to treat mental disorders. Under what's billed as a pilot program, county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services would retain the services of a psychiatrist to evaluate the patients and consult with health clinic physicians. County staff also are weighing options for obtaining low-cost or free medications for the patients. Modesto Bee article
Extreme commutes: More time on road means less time for family – U.S. Census data show that about a third of Merced's work force traveling outside the county for a job. More than 8,000 head to Stanislaus County, though others are willing to drive to Alameda, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties for skilled jobs that can't be found locally. The census estimates that 2 percent of the American work force is made up of extreme commuters, which means they spend more than 90 minutes driving each way to their job. Driving that long changes a commuter's life and inevitably the social fabric of society. Merced Sun-Star article
Apartment rents steady in San Joaquin County – Apartment occupancy is up, and demand for rental units is up. That's usually a prime scenario for rising rents, but rents, at least for apartments in San Joaquin County, are flat, year to year. That's according to the latest quarterly survey by the Novato research firm RealFacts, which tracks trends in the apartment industry. Stockton Record article
Guess how many people now live in Bakersfield – Bakersfield’s population rose to 328,692, a 1.8 percent gain on last year, according to estimates by the state Department of Finance. On the ladder of California cities, that leaves Bakersfield 18,131 people shy of No. 10 Anaheim and 24,492 short of No. 9 Santa Ana. But since Bakersfield historically has grown faster than other cities, the city should vault into California’s top 10 in two to three years, predicted Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy. Bakersfield Californian article
Visalia growth unlikely to stall in slowdown – Visalia remains on track to reach 165,000 by 2020 just as the General Plan predicts, and the current real estate slowdown won't delay things. That's the consensus of key players in the Visalia growth wars, regardless of which side they're on. Fresno Bee article
Pacific Ethanol delays quarterly report – Pacific Ethanol Inc. announced it will delay reporting its first quarter 2008 financial results, the second report the Sacramento-based ethanol producer has delayed this year. The company was set to report on Monday, but now plans to make the report on May 19, the company told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a filing Friday. Fresno Bee article
Merced airport may get regular flights to Nevada – Regularly scheduled passenger flights could be taking off from Castle Airport as soon as July. The Merced County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on an agreement that would allow North Las Vegas-based Vision Airlines to provide nonstop flights six days a week to North Las Vegas and Reno. Merced Sun-Star article
Lathrop plant eyes $100 million update – The owner of a construction-glass plant in Lathrop is proposing a $100 million upgrade, contingent on some government financial support. The Pilkington plant, which opened in 1962 and employs about 160 hourly union workers and 30 salaried people, is part of Pilkington North America, a manufacturer of flat building glass owned by the Tokyo-based NSG Group. Stockton Record article
Retirees’ suit over Fresno Unified health benefits heads to trial – Three decades ago, Fresno Unified trustees promised to give retirees health benefits for life -- free of charge. Now the district is headed for trial in a lawsuit accusing it of backing away from that pledge. At the heart of the court battle is a $758 million health-care funding gap. Fresno Bee article
Visalia Times-Delta: 210 Connect is not for members only – In coming months, the 210 Connect forum discussion in Visalia will turn toward some specific flash points in our communities, such as housing, planning for a livable city, and how we restore and protect neighborhoods. We hope you will join us. You won't need a membership card. Visalia Times-Delta viewpoint
Elk Grove wants refund after hybrid-bus fires – The once-vaunted hybrid gasoline-electric buses that powered the early days of Elk Grove's transit service are languishing in a city corporation yard over city concerns about buses catching fire. The city reportedly is demanding that manufacturers refund much of the $10 million it spent on 21 buses, most of which were on hand to launch Elk Grove's e-tran service in January 2005. Sacramento Bee article
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